Erin Torell, associate professor and the rare book librarian at the McGoogan Health Sciences Library, will discuss the “From Colony to Country: Medicine in America’s Founding Era” exhibit on Tuesday, July 21, from noon to 1 p.m.
The Health Science History Hour discussion will be held virtually. Register or join the presentation at this link or see this listing in the UNMC campus events calendar.
The exhibit and Torell’s presentation will allow visitors to journey back to the American colonies, go through the Revolutionary War and see the birth of the United States through the lens of health, illness and healing.
Through rare books and artifacts, the exhibit uncovers the surprising connections that shaped medicine across the Atlantic world in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
From intriguing medicinal recipes and the practice of bloodletting to the realities of military medicine and the spread of infectious disease, this presentation brings to life the stories, science and surprises behind early American medicine.
The exhibit, located on level eight of the library, will rotate every two months, highlighting different topics through rare books and artifacts.
June 22-Aug. 24
Learn about early American apothecary practices. Americans adapted to the North American environment and used the plants available to treat illness. View botanical books and medicinal recipes and artifacts such as apothecary scales.
Aug. 24-Oct. 26
Because of the geographic distances and lack of trained providers, domestic medicine or the treatment of illnesses and injuries at home, midwifery and pediatrics were routinely managed by women. Visit the exhibit to view an 18th century, handwritten home remedy book and infant feeder.
Oct. 26- Jan. 11, 2027
Examine military medicine, the knowledge and tools to treat injuries and illnesses common in soldiers and sailors. The exhibit rotation features rare books and surgical instruments.
Jan. 11- March 8
British medical knowledge and practices greatly influenced American medicine. Learn about how British medical education, training and book printing shaped American healthcare.
March 8-May 10
“Heroic” medicine was the dominant theory in the 18th and early 19th century. Discover how physicians carried out this often-dangerous practice through bloodletting and powerful medications. This rotation includes rare books and bloodletting artifacts.
May 10- July 12
Infectious disease greatly affected everyday life in America and the Continental Army’s capacity to fight. Visit this rotation to learn more about yellow fever, smallpox and malaria.
July 12- Sept. 27
Discover how surgery and dentistry were coming into their own during the era of the nation’s founding. Through rare books and instruments, learn how techniques and technology were advancing surgery and dentistry during the 18th and early 19th centuries.